HOUSTON -- There was only one fitting way for the Cincinnati Bengals to close a 20-6 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday -- with their defensive line putting Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud under pressure.
Even though the final score was a formality in the closing seconds, the pressure kept coming as the Texans tried to salvage a few more points. Stroud was sacked twice in the final three plays of the game, including a fourth-down attempt that punctuated the win and an important point about this Bengals team.
For the past couple of seasons, Cincinnati's defense was far off the pace for a would-be championship contender. What happened at Reliant Stadium on Sunday showed that is no longer the case.
"Holding them to no touchdowns? That's a pretty good statement," Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II said. "Winning the game? That's another great statement."
According to ESPN Research, Cincinnati allowed its fewest points in a road game since 2015, when the Bengals surrendered three points in a Week 3 win against the Cleveland Browns. And in doing so, the Bengals are off to a 2-0 start to the regular season for the second straight year.
But things are vastly different compared to 2025. For starters, quarterback Joe Burrow is healthy. Cincinnati's fast start last season was dampened by a turf toe injury that sidelined Burrow for nine games.
Then there's the defense. This offseason, Cincinnati improved that unit by using every major resource available, including trading the 10th overall pick to the New York Giants for Lawrence.
He had one of the biggest plays on Sunday. With the game still scoreless, the Texans were facing a fourth-and-1 at the Cincinnati 18-yard line. Lawrence rifled through the line of scrimmage and tackled Texans running back David Montgomery for a one-yard loss.
Bengals defensive tackle Jonathan Allen explained why Lawrence has had such a big impact for Cincinnati's defense.
"On runs, you have to double him," Allen said. "On passes, you have to chip him. You always have to know where he's at. He just commands so much preparation, it frees up a lot of other guys."
That includes Allen, who finished with a sack and three tackles for loss. And Lawrence was far from alone in putting Stroud and the Texans' offense under duress.
The Bengals produced 27 quarterback pressures, their most since ESPN began tracking that category in 2009. And defensive coordinator Al Golden didn't need to bring extra defenders to do that. Cincinnati blitzed on only 16.4% of Houston's dropbacks.
That performance validated what wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and Cincinnati's offense have been known for months.
"I've been saying it since camp -- our defense is really, really good," said Chase, who had two receiving touchdowns in the win. "I can't be more excited for them to show us more."
Through two weeks, Cincinnati's defense has capitalized on big situations. In Week 1, the Bengals forced four turnovers in a victory against Tampa Bay. Against the Texans, Cincinnati stopped all four of Houston's fourth-down attempts and yielded zero touchdowns in four red zone drives.
For the past several years, Cincinnati has been known for Chase, Burrow and its offensive firepower. But this week, the Bengals were able to beat a perennial playoff contender despite a day when Burrow was sacked five times and the team had 267 total offensive yards.
All offseason, Cincinnati's star quarterback has talked repeatedly about championships.
Whether he realized it or not, he did the same thing on Sunday by saying it feels like it did early in the 2021 season, when the Bengals reached the Super Bowl.
"If you put points on the board," Burrow said, "we're going to win with our defense."